The liver is one of the most important organs in the body. It’s a detox factory breaking down potentially harmful chemicals into harmless ones, including drugs and alcohol. But that’s not all. We now know it also flushes out cholesterol … Read More
Can parents’ jobs trigger autism in their children?
Autism spectrum disorder, ASD, can run in families, but rather than being inherited could it be down to a parent’s job and the skills they need to do their job, affecting their children? Sounds far-fetched? Well, I thought so till … Read More
Nut allergy breakthrough that’s giving peace of mind on flights
We’re all pretty jumpy about nut allergies. Are you someone who believes nut allergens can circulate in aircraft ventilation systems? If so, I have some good news for you. There’s no evidence they can be spread through aircraft ventilation. Indeed, a study … Read More
More compassion is needed in the fight against self-harm
Self-harm attracts little attention worldwide even though there are more than 14 million episodes every year. It is defined as people hurting or injuring themselves intentionally by self-poisoning or injury. This can take many forms, including overdoses of medication, ingestion … Read More
Type 1 diabetes breakthrough as new T-cell study may lead to improved treatment
For decades, when we couldn’t figure out the cause of an illness like cancer or diabetes we’d say it was probably due to an infection – bacterial or viral. This has been dramatically shown to be true in type 1 … Read More
Staying still in workouts is key to a happier heart
Keeping fit is so important, but not everyone catches the exercise bug. So here’s some good news: your body can benefit on lots of levels by just holding still and trying hard not to move. Don’t believe me? Well, it’s … Read More
Ethnic minorities still being denied full access to HRT
A few weeks ago, I read two distressing reports of discrimination in medicine, both affecting women. The first says Asian women and older patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are half as likely to receive the latest treatment. The second says … Read More
Immune research helps us understand why some kids are more prone to childhood illness
Anyone who reads my page knows I’m obsessed with the immune system. Very often its competency is a matter of life and death. So I hail the latest research from a group of scientists as a crucial addition to our … Read More
Middle-aged Americans in worse health than us
Would you be interested to know that Americans have significantly worse health in midlife than we do, especially heart health? So says an Oxford University study comparing smoking habits, weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure among American and British adults … Read More
Keep your biomarkers healthy for a longer life
Do you want to live to a ripe old age? Then let’s hope you’ve been keeping your age biomarkers in check. If you haven’t and you’re over 60 it may be too late. Swedish researchers from the prestigious Karolinska Institute … Read More